Foldable bracelet buckle



Oct. 11, 1932. c. H. PATTEN 1,881,918

FOLDABLE BRACELET BUCKLE I Filed Feb. 26, 1952 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 11, 1932 CHARLES H. PATTEN, OF CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND,ASSIGNbR TO GENERAL CHAIN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHiUSETTSFOLDABLE BRACELET BUCKLE Application .filed February 26, 1932. SerialNo. 595,267. x

. This invention relates to a foldable bracelet t buckle for use inwatch bracelets and the like, for enlarging the encircling size thereof;and has for one of its objects to provide a construction which may beadjusted as to size, either enlarged or decreased in size, whether thebraclet is in folded or unfolded position. i

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which maybe folded to partially contract the encircling size of the a braceletand then permit the parts of the which a more accurate size adjustmentof the bracelet may be obtained.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a foldingconstruction of buckle by which the buckle may be moved to con tractedposition by a sliding of the parts when in folded position and beretained in the desired adjusted position due to such contractingmovement and which may be released from such retained position to slideto an expanded position without unfolding the bracelet.

Another object of the invention is the controlling of the slidingmovement of the parts of the buckle in movement to and from expandedposition by a manually operated finger piece.

A further object. of the invention is the provision of a foldablebracelet buckle with a sliding adjustment which will maintain thesliding adjustment in set position even though the buckle is unfolded.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of amanually'operated finger piece which although releasing the slidingparts of the buckle to permit it to move to expanded position also has astop to limit the slid-- ing of the parts of the buckle and prevent themfrom becoming entirely detached.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will bemore fully described, and particularly pointed out in th appendedclaims. p

In the accompanying drawing:

part of one of the sections partially extended.

Fig. .3 is a perspective view of the channel end section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective ,view of the slide member movable in saidchannel section.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the channel member and showing in dottedlines the encircling size of the bracelet that it may fit differentsized arms, and I have provided for a movement which may be attained bya pushing of the sliding parts together inone direction and holding themin the posi-' tion of contraction to which they are moved by means of alatch which may be engaged in one of a series of catches when thesliding parts are pushed in one direction and which will remain in thisadjusted position regardless of the folding or unfolding of the parts,the release of the latch and catch being controlled by the swinging ofthe latch to a position out of the line of catches in one of the slidingparts, and which release'will operate regardless of whether the buckleisin folded or unfolded position; and the following is a detaileddescription of the present embodiment of this invention illustrating thepreferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

' With reference to the drawing, 10 designates generally the bodysectionwhich is of channel sha' e having a bottom wall 11, side walls 12 withinturned flanges 13.' Pivotally mounted at 14 adjacent one end of thebot.-

tom wall 11 of the body section is a latch member 15 which may swinglaterally of the channel section by operation of a finger piece 16extending through the opening 17 in one of the side walls 12.

This latch has a resilient tongue 18 cut therefrom and bent up as at 19to engage any one of a series of catches 20 formed in the slide member21, which slides beneath the flanges 13 and is guided by these flangesand the side wall 12 of this channel section in its movement. This slidemember consists of a plate 22 with rolled edges 23 and a series of slots24 to form the catches 20. This member 21 is also provided with an eye25 at one end for connection of the end link 26 of the bracelet chain.

The end slot 27 of this series of slots is of a width greater than thewidth of the slots 24: so that regardless of whether the latch memberisin the center position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or at one sidethereof, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the bent up end 19 will engage theslot 27 and limit the relative sliding movement of the parts thusforming a stop to prevent entire separation of the parts one from theother.

An intermediate section 28 is of channel' shape construction to stiffenthe same and is hinged to the body section 10 at one-end, while theother end of this intermediate section is hin ed to an end section 29which is also of, c annel shape and provided with side walls 30 tostiffen the same. Detents 81 are raised from these side walls 30 to snapbeneath the edge flange 13 of the body section to hold the parts infolded position.

The end section 29 is provided with an eye 32 for connection to the endlink 33 of the chain.

Operation In operation the foldable section may move to or from foldedposition and when in either folded or unfolded position the slide member23 may be moved inwardly to contract the length of the buckle. When thelatch member is in central position and the finger piece 16 pressedinwardly, as illustrated at Figs. 1 and 2, there is suflicientresiliency of the tongue 18 and the catches and ton e are so shaped asto permit the upturne portion 19 to snap from one slot or catch 20 toanother in the act of contracting the bracelet lVhen, however, it isdesired to expand the bracelet by a sliding movement, the finger pieceis pulled outwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 6, thusdetaching the latch from the'series of catches and permitting suchexpanding -movement, the parts being limited in this outward movement bythe extended width .Of the last notch 27 with which the finger pieceengages.

The foregolng description is directed soletho section to and from aposition ly towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to beunderstood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all themechanical .changes to which the device is susceptible,

ber and the section in which it is slidable for holding the parts indifferent positions of adjustment, said means consisting of a series ofcatches on one part and a separate latch pivoted on the other part, saidlatch and catches being relatively resiliently mounted and constructedand arranged in such a manner that said latch may be moved from onecatch to another by pressure on the end of said member so as to contractthe buckle, and manually operable means to control the functioning ofsaid latch.

2. A bracelet buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto fold one on the other, a member slidable in one of said sections, andcooperating means between said member and the section in which it isslidable for holding the parts in different positions of adjustment,said means consisting of a series of catches on one part and a separatelatch pivoted on the other part in such manner as to swing laterallythereof, said latch and catches being relatively resiliently mountedwhereby said latchvmay be moved from'one about its pivot to remove itfrom the path of movement of said catches. i i

3. A bracelet buckle'comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto fold one on the other, a member slidable in one of said sections,cooperating means between said member and the section in which it isslidable for holding the parts in different positions of adjustment,said means consisting of a series of catches on one part and a separatelatch .catch to another, said latch being swingable pivoted ,on theother part in such manner as to swing laterally thereof, said latch andcatches ing relatively resiliently mounted whereby said latch may bemoved from one catch to another, said latch being swingable movement ofsaid catches, and a manually operablefinger piece extending to a pointoutside of the section and connected to said latch for controlling thesame.

4. A bracelet buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged together,to fold one on the other, a member slidably mounted in, one end sectionand provided with a series of spaced catches extending laterallypartially the width thereof, a latch pivoted on said section andslidable over a portion of the surface of to engage and disengage saidcatches. Y

about its pivot to remove it from the path of 5 A bracelet bucklecomprising a plurality of sections hinged together to fold one on theother, a, member slidably mounted in one end section and provided with aseries of spaced catches extending laterally partially the Widththereof, a latch pivoted on said section in such a manner as to beslidable laterally over a portion of the surface of the section to andfrom a position to engage and disengage said catches, and a finger piececonnected to said latch to operate said latch.

6. A bracelet buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto fold one on the other, oneofsaid end sections being channel shaped incross section and having side walls, a member slidable in said channelsection and provided with a series of spaced catches, a separate latchpivoted on said section, and movable to and from'position to engage anddisengage said catches, and a finger piece connected to said latch andextending through the side wall of said channel section for moving saidlatch about its pivot.

7. A bracelet buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto fold one on the other, a member slidably mounted in one end sectionand provided with'a series of spaced catches extending laterallypartially the Width-thereof, a latch pivoted on said section and movableto and from a position to engage said catches, and stop means to engageand disengage said latch when said latch is out of line with saidcatches to limit the movement of said slide member.

8. A foldable buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto fold one on the other, a latch member pivotally mounted on onesection in such a manner as to slide laterally over a portion of thesurface thereof and provided with a resilient tongue, a member slidablein said section over said tongue and provided with a plurality of slotsengageable with said tongue.

9. A foldable buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto foldone on the other, a. latch member pivotally mounted on onesection in such a manner as to move laterally thereof and provided withtongue and leaving an unslotted marginal edge, means to move said tongueto slide along the unslotted marginal edge or to enage said slots, saidmeans comprisingv a i mger piece connected to said latch and extendingbeyond the edge of said section for the manual operation of said latchmember about its pivot.

11. A foldable buckle comprising a plural- ,ity of sections hingedtogether to fold one on the other, a latch member pivotally mounted inone section in such a manner as to move laterally thereof and providedwith a resilient tongue, a member slidable in said section over saidtongue and provided with a plurality of aligned slots extending laterally of said member engageable with said tongue and leaving an unslottedmarginal edge means to move said tongue to slide along the unslottedmarginal edge or to engage said slots, a finger piece connected to saidlatch and extending beyond the edge of said seca resilient tongue, amember slidable in said section over said tongue and provided with aplurality of aligned slots extending laterally of said member engageablewith said tongue and leaving an unslottedmarginal edge, and means tomove said tongue to slide along the unslotted marginal edge or to engagesaid slots.

10. A foldable buckle comprising a plurality of sections hinged togetherto fold one on the other, a latch member pivotally mounted in onesection in such a manner as to move laterally thereof and provided with

